Lake Washington Schools Foundation: An Introduction

Discover the heart and soul of the Lake Washington Schools Foundation in this video.

Did you know that Lake Washington Schools Foundation (LWSF) and Lake Washington School District (LWSD) are two distinctly different organizations?

LWSF is a non-profit organization that works in close partnership with the school district to support the students in our community. We provide direct services through our programs and also fund district initiatives. We are able to do this work only through receiving donations from supporters who share our belief that every student should have the ability to achieve their full potential.

-- posted by Bob Yoder, 10/12/2023

City Council Interviews Park Commissioner Candidates

The development of SE Redmond Park is underway and the Parks and Recreation is asking for your feedback and participation. Input from these two new Parks and Trails commissioners will be invaluable.  Everything you need to know about the proposed SE Redmond Park is HERE.   

- Posted by Bob Yoder, 10/12/2023

Redmond To Launch Small Business Resiliency Grant

REDMOND, WA - The City and OneRedmond are partnering on a small business grant fund, which will open for applications on Monday, Oct. 16. The program will offer relief in the form of one-time $5,000 grants to small, for-profit businesses that have experienced financial hardship due to COVID-19 and related public health measures.

The City is dedicating more than $500,000 to this fourth round of city-distributed funding, specifically designed for the small business community. The grant is funded by American Rescue Plan Act federal dollars and a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) will be required prior to the award.

“The City of Redmond is committed to supporting small business owners,” said Mayor Angela Birney. “These small businesses bring a vibrant and vital energy to our local economy, and it is important that we nurture their success today, tomorrow, and well into the future.”

Echoing Mayor Birney, Kristina Hudson, Chief Executive Officer for OneRedmond, said, “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and they have been vulnerable to the lingering effects of the pandemic. OneRedmond is proud to partner again with the City of Redmond on this grant program to help support small businesses who are critical to our community’s economic vitality.”

Eligible businesses must be located within the City of Redmond zip code of 98052 and have 10 or fewer employees. Grants will be awarded through a lottery system performed by an external organization.

Bird's Eye View -A Poem by Redmond's Poet Laureate

The Redmond Historical Society invites the community to an exciting conversation with Redmond Poet Laureate, Laura Da’, on the topic of “Currents of Time and Place: Poetry that Engages with History and Image in Cascadia.” 

Saturday, 10:30 AM, October 14, 2023. Doors open 10:00 AM.

Location: Old Redmond Schoolhouse, 16600 NE 80th St., Redmond, WA 98052. 

More info: https://www.redmondhistoricalsociety.org/rhs-events

This program is the second of the Society’s Saturday Speaker Series for the Fall 2023 season. This will be an in-person program at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse. Admission is free to RHS members, and a suggested donation of $5 for non-members.

UPDATED: Mayor Angela Birney's Story / Pedestrian Safety / RCTV

I found Mayor Birney's Story on Pedestrian Safety while watching Redmond City Television (RCTV) on Comcast Channel 21.  

I'm amazed how RCTV programming has improved.  There's much more content.  Tune in at 9:00AM for a half hour of local news, grant opportunities, and tips.  

All of  Mayor Birney's 52 YouTube stories can be watched in a rolling sequence. 

posted by Bob Yoder, 10/11/2023

Glimpse Of Redmond Councilmembers In Action

l-r Melissa Stuart, David Carson, Jeralee Anderson, President Jessica Forsythe, Varisha Khan, V.P. Vanessa Kritzer, Steve Fields (remote.)           Staff have backs to the camera.

I'm going to periodically report on the important Council "Committee of the Whole" meetings.  It will give you a chance to watch and listen to our representatives and see them take action on the agenda.  Most of their work with staff gets done here.  This is a meeting  of the "Planning and Public Works Committee."

Click HERE to watch the tape of five councilmembers discussing Redmond's "signalization intersection project" with Kirkland ($2,218,035.)   Scroll the tape to find:  Stuart, 15:35m;  Forsythe 16:40m;  Carson 17:00m;  Stewart 21:00m;  Fields 22:00m;  Krtizer 23:15m. (Kahn did not participate.)    

Ms. Khan's term ends December 31, 2023.  She's participated in less than 75% - 85% of council meetings.  The Mayor would have her exact attendance records.  

-- Bob Yoder, Opinion, 10/9/2023

    Photo:  RCTV Comcast 21  

Halloween Run Through The Park

Zoey reluctantly wears her Halloween costume after a long run in the Redmond Dog Park.  Here, she's lapping water from a bowl the city thoughtfully installed.

- Bob & Pam 

Redmond Ospreys And Their Nests

Marymoor Park juvenile osprey / credit Reinke

According to the Marymoor Park website, this tall osprey nest platform located near Parking Lot B was constructed in 2008, to replace a decommissioned cell tower. The new platform has been used by ospreys ever since.  

A juvenile osprey is currently occupying the nest.  (A juvenile can be identified by the white fringe around all of its brown wing feathers, which adults do not have.) 

I discovered that there are two empty osprey nests only a half mile away and still inside the park.  One nest structure is located in a tall lighting tower on the perimeter of baseball field #6 and the other is similarly located on the perimeter of baseball field #8. .

Empty osprey nests on Marymoor lighting tower

During all of my visits to the platform, only the juvenile has been present and I have never seen it flying around or accompanied by adult ospreys.  However, my visits have all been of fairly short duration, so I presume that the adults are still attending to the juvenile.  Nonetheless, the fall migration season has already begun, so presumably the juvenile and its parents may have already departed.  

-- John Reinke 

    Redmond, photojournalist 

   10/8/2023

Redmond Homeless Hotel Opens Early 2024

Silver Cloud Homeless Hotel
credit Kirkland Reporter

Today, King County Department of Community and Human Services announced the selection of an operator for the Health Through Housing building (AKA Homeless Hotel) in Redmond. The building now moves into the next phase of implementation before opening by early 2024.

The Salvation Army will provide 24/7 onsite operations at the building beginning in 2024. The Salvation Army is a long-standing regional provider of emergency shelter and long-term housing assistance. Throughout the COVID-19 emergency, The Salvation Army worked directly with King County on emergency relief and continues to be a partner in serving people experiencing, or at risk of chronic homelessness.

The Salvation Army brings expertise in creating stability for people experiencing homelessness through strategies, including street outreach and diversion, utility and food assistance, housing programs, and connection to integrated physical and behavioral health care. They will begin hiring staff to provide a range of 24/7 services and support for the new residents. The operator, alongside King County and the City of Redmond, will also engage with local area residents, city leaders, and businesses before occupancy. The first meet and greet will take place in late October.

Last year, the Redmond Health Through Housing building was used to temporarily provide a place for displaced refugees to stay from Afghanistan. From May through December, nearly 800 refugees received temporary housing, resettlement support, and connection to community. Of those who participated, 97 percent secured permanent housing. 

-- C.O.R. Press Release, 10/4/2023

CONNECTIONS of Kirkland, Behavioral Health Crisis Center Forum

"Connections Health Solutions" is King County's first of five immediate access multi-service behavioral health crisis response centers.  It will be located in the 405 Kirkland Corporate Center behind Olive Garden Restaurant, two blocks from the Kirkland police.  It's scheduled to open June/July of 2024. 

Heather Genovese, V.P. Clinical Operations of Connections Health Solutions held this ZOOM forum on 9/26, to inform viewers of the facility. Donna Lurie, Board President of NAMI Eastside led Q&A.  Notable items from their Tucson facility:    

• 24/7 Urgent Care Mental Health Clinic open to all. Treats adults over 17 years of age. 
• 15+ chairs for observation by psychiatric providers. No triage. Individuals are seen within 90 minutes.
• 65% stabilized within 24 hours.  65% have comorbid substance abuse. 
• 16-bed unit for crisis stabilization; stabilization is usually within 24-hours. 
• 16-bed unit for sub-acute crisis stabilization usually within 4 days. 
• 60-70% of involuntarily committed individuals convert to voluntary commitment. 
• accepts 100% of those coming through the door, regardless of insurance.
• 50-55% are brought in through the back door by police. No one turned away. Peer support specialists remove remove hand cuffs with care compassion and dignity.    
• 90% receive outpatient care by a mental health provider within 7 days off discharge.  
• 45-Day Transition Program:  "warm hand-off to community care" - recovery, support, and coaching.
• For profit. 
• EvergreenHealth isn't funding the Center. 

"King County invested $11.5 million of state and local dollars toward this crisis center located in Kirkland.  It will service five North King County cities.  It's the start of what we can achieve together when it comes to community behavioral health." -- King County Executive Dow Constantine.

 Posted by Bob Yoder, 10/4/2023 / I participated.

OPINION: Enhanced Downtown Building Colors, As Seen On City TV

I wish...

PLANNING COMMISSION INFO
Comcast Channel 21 TV screen, photo Bob Yoder, 10/3/2022

Redmond Poet Laureate Laura Da' Events, October 6th / 14th

Redmond Poet Laureate Laura Da'

Join Poet Laureate Laura Da’ at Idylwood Park on the shores of Lake Sammamish to celebrate the debut of her "Poetry Walk" inspired by the ecosystem within Redmond that supports the kokanee salmon. 

• Friday, October 6th, 6:00 - 7:30PM
• Idylwood Park

This unique and important environment has carried life in the region since time immemorial and is at the heart of this year’s projects by Da’. The Redmond STEM Center and the Seattle Design Nerds will also be creating a one-night-only projection in the park inspired by the Poetry Walk prompts, poems by Da’, and the workshops hosted by the Poet Laureate at Old Firehouse Teen Center.

The projection is made possible by a grant from the Academy of American Poets for Laura’s recognition as one of the 2023 Poet Laureate Fellows.

-- Redmond Parks and Recreation

###

Redmond Historical Society - Saturday Speaker Series

On October 14th, the Redmond Historical Society invites the community to an exciting conversation with Redmond Poet Laureate, Laura Da’, on the topic of “Currents of Time and Place: Poetry that Engages with History and Image in Cascadia.” 

Date/Time: Saturday, 10:30 AM, October 14, 2023. Doors open 10:00 AM.

Topic:  "Currents of Time and Place: Poetry that Engages with History and Image in Cascadia”

Speaker:  Laura Da', Redmond Poet Laureate

Location: Old Redmond Schoolhouse, 16600 NE 80th St., Redmond, WA 98052. 

More info: https://www.redmondhistoricalsociety.org/rhs-events

This program is the second of the Society’s Saturday Speaker Series for the Fall 2023 season. This will be an in-person program at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse. Admission is free to RHS members, and a suggested donation of $5 for non-members.

Tendril Pat Receives Humanities Washington Award.

Tendril Pat

"Tonight I received the 2023 Humanities Washington Award, the Highest Award in Washington state for Public Humanities . This award recognizes my contributions over the years to Living traditional Arts and folk life in the state of Washington.

It also recognizes my role in the formation and growth of the Center For Washington's Cultural Traditions/ CWCT ! I am immensely honored and deeply gratified to receive this award ! My eternal gratitude goes to Humanities Washington for conferring the Highest Humanities award in the State on me."

Tendril Pat

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King County Councilmember Sarah Perry, Out In Our Community

 

Out in Our Community!

^{(Left): Earlier this month, we celebrated the stunning new crosswalk created by artist Jing Jing and sponsored by Pride Across the Bridge and the City of Redmond, Washington - Government; (Right) We joined the Indian American Community Services and their Senior Lunch program at the Beaver Lake Lodge in Sammamish!}

Lake Washington School District Capital Projects, Sign Up For Updates

Juanita High School 2021 construction, Internet 

Sign up for updates on Lake Washington School District capital projects and the "Connection" newsletter:  

• Redmond Middle School - Building updates
• Rockwell Elementary - Rebuild & remodel updates
• Eastside High School - Additional Capacity updates
• Kirkland Middle School - Addition updates
• Finn Hill Middle School - Addition updates
• Westside Area - Additional Capacity updates
• Connection Newsletter
• School Board updates

"Connections" is not exclusive to parents:  feel free to forward it on to others who might want to subscribe, such as a grandparent or interested neighbor.

Read how and where the District's capital projects are funded  District taxpayers passed bond/levy measures in:  1998, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2019, 2022.

-- Source:  LWSD website

Rumble in Redmond – Robot Combat Competition

Join us on Saturday, October 21st from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. in Redmond for the Rumble in Redmond Robot Combat Competition! Builders from all over North America will bring their robots to an all-out clash where innovation and excitement collide. This event will serve as a qualifying event for the Robot Combat League National Championship in May 2024, allowing passionate builders to compete at the highest level of robot combat. 

Competitors will unleash their custom-built remote-controlled armed with hammers, flippers, or blades, delivering stylish and crushing blows to their opponents. Builders invest days, weeks, or even months perfecting their designs for competitions. 

FREE ADMISSION 

This is an all-ages, immersive competitive experience. We invite all who are interested to attend! 

press release, OneRedmond

UPDATED: 2023 League of Women Voters

The League of Women Voters offers Vote411.org where candidates are given the opportunity to submit written answers to their questions.  

Go to Vote422.org, enter your address, and find and compare your candidates' answers.  They are very informative; a good read! 

As of this date, (10/20/2023) David Carson, Jeff Cashman, Angela Birney, Osman Salahuddin, Janel Schermerhorn, and Linsey Yocum have submitted answers.   

I'll monitor the site for updates.     

Source:  

Allison Feher

Administrative Manager

LWV of Seattle-King County

1511 Third Avenue, Suite 900 Seattle, WA 98101

206-329-4848| www.lwvskc.org 

Redmond Recreation and Pool Programs

 

Park and Recreation Activity Search

Tel. (425) 556.2300

Email: guestservices@redmond.gov

REDMOND POOL PROGRAMS  

How to Register 

• Swim School
• Public Swim  (Lap, Senior, Youth Swim  & Adult Swim Lessons, Water Aerobics)
• Adult Lessons
• Masters
• Lifeguard Training
• Swim Team
• Pool Rental

The Redmond Pool is new. Take a deep dive!  Read about the pool HERE.  

"Redmond Space District"

The "Redmond Space District" Brand

More satellites are made in Redmond, Washington than anywhere else in the world.

This brand was developed to showcase the dramatic growth of Redmond’s Space Cluster. According to research by Alliance Velocity, Redmond companies produce almost half of the satellites in earth’s orbit, and are projected to manufacture more than 75% of the world’s satellites in the near future based on current and future FCC approved satellites. 

Redmond has a long history in the space industry dating back to 1967 when Aerojet Rocketdyne, broke ground on their first site in Redmond. Today, Redmond is home to an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem alongside two of the largest satellite manufacturers in the world: SpaceX, and Amazon Project Kuiper. 

Along with the two satellite manufacturing giants, Redmond’s robust and growing commercial space sector also includes Honeywell Aerospace, Kymeta, Microsoft’s Azure Orbital, RBC Signals, Spectralux, and Triumph providing a rich environment for small businesses like Xplore to locate in Redmond to grow and prosper. 

Source:  excerpts and edits from OneRedmond press release, 3/30/2023

OneRedmond is a public-private partnership for economic and community development. Supported by local private sector businesses in close partnership with the City of Redmond. OneRedmond strives to be the difference maker in connecting our local companies and educational community with resources to keep our local economy stable and growing. For more information go to www.OneRedmond.org

Senior Center "Camp WeGO" Smashing Success

Pam and I were lucky to participate in the the Senior Center's WeGo Sports camp last month. It's for ages 50+. Having a 22-year age "buffer" we were shoe-ins. The sports themed  camp was at the city's iconic Farrel-McWhirter Park. Sara Bouwman curated some fun and stimulating games. The barbeque was tasty. The sing along touched me with familial nostalgia.   Marty Boggs, the Center's manager, lined up sportscaster and storyteller Tony Ventrella as guest speaker. (Marty and Tony are sitting on the lower right.)  He and his staff truly put on an incredible camp.  It was so sad to hear after over 25 years with the city Marty's retiring.  He's moving to a charming city, into a custom home, surrounded by his family. 

Here we are with our Sports Participation Awards -- We were ALL winners!

UPDATED: Work Underway For Innovative "Anderson AMLI Project"

click image to enlarge

FedEx, Value Village and 8 small businesses are removed or re-located:

Dog Day Care, Romos, Gyros 2 Go, Costumes, Fun&Study, Kim's Hair

and Malt & Vine.  

                                                        AMLI  PROJECT  DEMOLITION

                                             Correction:  FedEx moved  next to Jersey Mikes  

Location:  AMLI:  Redmond Way & Avondale Way.  Adjacent McDonalds and Anderson Park; in the old Value Village mall. 

The applicant proposes the construction of two adjacent buildings, referred to as the “West” building and the “East” building respectively. The project includes a "pouch porch" dog run with space for hop scotch, 4-square and living green walls.  The applicant is proposing a woonerf on Avondale Way to safely connect the buildings.

Plantings and a green wall element were added along the ground level to enhance the pedestrian experience along the Redmond Central Connector. Two variations for the integration of planters and vertical green wall trellises are proposed to create visual interest along the concrete wall. 

The west building is a mix of residential and retail uses and varies in height ranging from five to seven-stories. 11,070 sf of commercial retail uses located along Redmond Way. On levels two through seven, there are 249 residential units. 237 internal parking stalls are also provided at ground levels B1 and subterranean levels L1

The east building is six stories and is a multi-family apartment building. Residential amenity space is provided at the ground level. On levels two through six, there are 127 residential units. 205 internal parking stalls are also provided at ground levels B1 and subterranean levels L1. 

A future elevated rail line is proposed south of the project as a part of the Sound Transit Downtown Redmond Link.

-- Design Review Board, April 2022

Three additional posts on this innovative AMLI project are HERE.

Prepared by Bob Yoder, 9/26/2023